Diving-bell



B. MAILLEFERT, OF ASTORIA, YE7 YORK.

DIVING-BELL.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,785, dated March 30, 1858.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN MAILLE- rnn'r, of Astoria, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Diving Bells; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, which drawing represents a central section of a diving-bell with my improvement.

The principal object of my invention is to establish a communication between the interior of a diving bell and the surface of the water, so that the divers may be permitted to come out of the bell and above the surface of the water at their own pleasure, without the tedious and laborious operation of raising the bell being necessary; but my invention also accomplishes several other important desiderata, as will be presently explained.

This invention relates to that description of diving bells in which a passage tube is employed, which extends 'from the top of the bell to above the surface of the wat-er.

My invention consists in the combination with a bell of the above description of an air reservoir, for the purpose of facilitating the moving of the machine.

The passage tube I do not claim as my invention.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, is the working chamber or body of the bell,

B, is the tube or hollow trunk, which constitutes the principal feature of my invention, extending from the top of the working chamber A, upward to any convenient length and formed with a flanch f, at the upper end to afford facility for the attachment of one or more additional sections to increase the length of the tube. This tube may be about three feet in diameter, or as much largeror smaller as may be found most convenient, but it must be large enough for a man to pass through with such tools as he mayrequire.

b, is an air-tight partition or deck across the lower part of the hollow trunk B, said deck being furnished with a man-hole valve, c large enough for a man to pass through,

with a glass light d, to admit light from the trunk into the working chamberv A', and with a cock e to admit air from the working chamber into the hollow trunk. 1, is a similar deck near to the top of or some distance higher up the trunk B; said deck being furnished with a man-hole valve c1, a glass light d1, and a cock c1, like those c, d, c, of the lower deck.

D, is a ladder within the trunk B, for descending into and ascending from the working chamber.

The working chamber A, of the bell is surrounded by an air-reservoir O, C, which should be fitted with valves or cocks for the admission and escape of air for the purpose of raising and lowering the bell. I would here remark that I do not claim the air reservoir C, C, separately or in itself considered; for as before stated, my invention consists simply in the combination of the reservoir with the bell and tube as herein shown; this combination I believe to be new.

The invention is used in the following manner The bell, until the proper time for lowering it, floats upon the water by reason of the air in the reservoir C, O; the

lworking chamber is filled with compressed air, the valve c, and cock e, are shut, and the other valve c1, is opened. The diver, being ready to go down, enters the trunk B through the open valve 01, and then closes the said valve from the inside of the trunk, gets down the ladder D, and opens the cock e, to let compressed air from the chamber A, into the trunk B until an equilibrium is es tablished, after which he opens the valve c, and enters the chamber A, and then by means of the proper valve or cock lets air escape from the chamber C, until the bell settles down where it isrequired, when he stops the escape of air and goes to work. When he desires to go lout, he ascends through the open valve c, into the trunk B, and then closes the said valve c, and the cock e, and opens the cock c1, until the compressed air has escaped from the trunk vto the atmosphere, whenhe opens the valve c1, and gets out; leaving the bell undisturbed at the bottom of the water or where hc has been at work in it, and ready for him to go to his work again, when he only has to get into the trunk, close valve c1, and cock e1, and open cock e, and valve c, and then pass through valve c, as before.

In addition to the facility afforded for the diver coming to the surface at any moment Without the necessity of raising the bell and Without assistance of any kind from attendants above the Water, the use of the trunk B obtains the following advantages. lst. One or more men can go to the bottom to give directions to the diver, carry him tools or for any other purpose While he is at Work, and Without disturbing him or the bell. 2nd. A better light is obtained especially in thick or muddy Water as the light is all admitted by the lights d, (Z1, Without passing through the water. 3rd. By means of this trunk a conversation can be carried on at all times between the divers at Work below and the attendants above, as by speaking with their mouths close to the surface of the trunk, their Voices are rendered distinctly audible to each other. Lkth. The trunk acting as a buoy enables the bell to descend more directly, and will in no case permit the bell to capsize, as will often happen When the ordinary bells encounter an obstruction on one side. l/hen it is desired to shift or change the position of the bell, a

sufficient quantity of air must be forced into the reservoir C, to lift the machine a slight distance from the ground and cause it to float. steps upon the ground and pushes against the Wall of the apparatus, in the direction that he desires to move the same, and the change ofposition is eected. When the bell has been brought over the spot Where it is to rest, the air is allowed to escape from the reservoir and Water to enter, whereupon the machine sinks to the ground. By means of the reservoir C, all tackles, levers, and other means commonly required to raise, lower, and move the bell, are dispensed With.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

The combination of the reservoir C, with the bell A, and tube B, as and for the pur poses herein setforth.

BEN. MAILLEFERT.

Vitnesses W. TUsoH, W'. HAUFF.

The operator Within the bell then 

